Lamar Theatre

1716 Lamar Avenue,

Memphis,
TN38114

If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!

During the late 1980’s the Lamar’s side doors (on the side away from the cross street)were so rotten that they had fallen out of the door frames, leaving the theatre open to -ahem- exploration. The building was ruined, the roof mostly gone, however, enough remained of the interior to know what it had alooked like. The seat end standards were ornate, but every other row of seats had been removed – apparently to facilitate the live portion of the adult entertainment shown in its last days. There were two organ chambers at stage level, one on each side of the small stage. No sign of the organ of course. No dressing rooms or stage facilites. There was a boiler room under the stage. The auditorium side walls had simple plaster moldings creating large rectangular panels.

Coming in from the front doors, there was a very small lobby with floor sloping up. Doors opened into the standee area with a cross aisle to exit doors at each end. There was no balcony.

The biggest surprise was up in the projection booth: it was obvious that the wall between booth and auditorium had been an exterior wall – there were bits of stone moldings and details which would never have been placed there just for the projectionist to look at. If you look at the photos of the front, you’ll see an arched top window, just above the marquee. That opens into the projection booth. The small window on the angled portion was the generator room. Directly below the booth (main floor) were two small restrooms, an office, the concession stand (later addition) and of course, the tiny “lobby.” That front 10-15 feet seems to have been added to and existing building. What was it previously? Don’t know. Theatre? Storefront? Couldn’t say.

I spent many nights at the Lamar during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. I lived up the street and was one of the neighborhood regulars. Normally, I could be found at Mr. Crawford’s poolhall or Reaves' Drugstore, both across the street from the theatre. I met my first wife at the consession, where she was employed by the Shapiro owners. Her name was Dee Dee Weaver, and she worked with Tasha and Nancy Steelman, who sold tickets. In the late evenings, after the Shapiros collected the reciepts and departed, all the local guys were allowed to come in and watch the late show without paying. Back then we had no money, and the manager —I can’t remember his name— would tell the girls to admit us for free. My buddy, Clint Combs, was sweet on Tasha, and I liked Dee Dee, so we were there most nights. I later married Dee Dee and we had three children in 34 years of marriage.

I thought I’d come check the new comments on the Lamar after watching “Mystery Train” again this morning, there are some very beautiful shots of the theatre in the movie. I am pleased to read that the theatre is being used/is going to be used again in a new way.

Here is a photo from January 2006 of the Lamar looking the best it has in years. There has been some discussion about converting into a recording studio. Great to see some effort is being made to restore at least the exterior.

Monika, The Lamar operated as a porno house into the late 1970’s. Its last incarnation was a short-lived and underfunded “family entertainment” venue. When I last saw the theatre in the mid-1990’s there was no sign of fire damage. It was a wreck, but not burned.
Will Dunklin

The Lamar dates back to the silent movie era. There is a small stage and a small organ chamber left and right of the proscenium at stage level. The arched window visible in the photo above opens into the projection booth. In the projection booth there are vestiges of an older facade, indicating that the booth and lobby are additions to an older theater. When last seen in 1990 the roof was nearly gone, the side exit doors falling out of the walls. Every other row of seats had been removed for the live part of the prono show which was the Lamar’s last use.